i made a reference to her at a ronald reagan dinner in iowa over the weekend, campaigning across the country, advocating across the country as she did in delaware, which helped christine o'donnell get elected. what is her impact right now on the republican party, and does it bother you? >> she's a star. it doesn't bother me. she is out there, mixing it up, conveying her views, animating people to come forward and participate in the political process. i didn't think she was ready to be president of the united states in 2008 and i'm not sure she would be in 2012, but there's nothing wrong with former governor palin getting out there, presenting her views and animating american political life. people seem to suggest or think that this is something new and wild. but if you look at our history, we have had movements like this throughout our history. we've had this kind of political fighting throughout our history. it's the nature of our democratic system. one of the problems that i'm having with all of it right now is that there is a certain undercurrent of thought that is not helpful. wh